Thread by @SillyTiddy

It is funny to read people seriously stating and defending the point that India intentionally lost to England. All of us are guilty of laughing and forwarding Whatsapp memes and going over board in our private chats/celebrations in the frenzy of a match...{THREAD}

thats fine and is part and parcel of sports fandom...but holding these opinions like some objective truth and pushing them publicly where it then becomes part of an overall narrative coming from a country itself is ridiculous!.... (continued)

It is also down right stupid, betraying your lack of cricket knowledge and viewing (apart from a few crucial WC matches every now and then)

England are the best team in the world on flat tracks.They are perhaps the BEST EVER BATTING team in the history of ODIs on flat tracks ->

India are not the same impeccable chasing masters that they were three years ago. They are a stand out team due to the potency and overall completeness of their bowling lineup (which is the best in the world at the moment, due to the presence of two really good spinners -->

that have striking ability in the middle overs).

When u play on a flat track unfortunately the potency of the bowling attack especially the spinners is neutralized. Which is what happened yesterday. Eng were always favorites on a track like this. Yes it was possible for India->

to chase the target down, but a 330+ chase they were against the odds to begin with and given their usual method (that they are comfortable with) of starting slow and building a base was always going to put way too much pressure on the lower middle -->

which to their flaw is built around Dhoni (who frankly does not have the consistent hitting ability any more, he might be able to every ten games or so, but that for a WC is not good enough...they are better off having the lower middle strategy built around Pandaya or Jadhav ->

when it comes to chasing as they are better in terms of consistency in hitting. It is also why addition of Pant will help them down the line in this WC). Fact is the track Eng plays on really really matters. They are beasts on the type of track they got in Edgbaston. -->

Honestly the only match i can recall the “New England” losing on flat track at home in last three years is v Pak at Trent Bridge earlier in the WC, which is why that was such a miraculous victory. -->

(Stat Check- In last 3 yrs where scores of 320+ are involved in Eng, batting or bowling first, Eng has won the match 16 out of 17 times, the only exception being Trent Bridge v Pak earlier this WC). No other team even comes close on matching that record at home venues) -->

Ind were not the favorites v England on that surface, simple as. It is also why the Eng v NZ game is not a foregone conclusion. Yes they have won v India, but cricket is more than just head to head comparisons of teams. By that logic Pak would never be in with a chance still. ->

The surface the teams get at Chester-Le-Street on Wed will matter a lot. If it’s another flat 320+ surface Eng will be favorites (doesn’t matter much they are bowling or batting first, their record shows they are as good chasing targets down on flat tracks, however the one -->

hey have been asked to do it under WC pressure they have failed v Pak).If it’s a more conventional balanced surface tht has something for the bowlers esp the slower ones, then it’s definitely game on & NZ r in with as much of a chance of beating Eng as India would have done {END}